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Solving the E-Waste Problem in China

As one of the world’s largest exporters of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and importers of waste electrical and electronic equipment (e-waste) worldwide, China plays a key role in the social, economic, environmental and material life cycle of much of the world’s electrical and electronic equipment.

As a result of increased Chinese and worldwide consumption and turnover of EEE, China is now facing serious e-waste problems from both growing domestic generation and foreign imports. This report presents a comprehensive review of the extant e-waste problems, e-waste flows, the state of the informal and formal e-waste collection and recycling sectors, legislative progress and various stakeholders related to e-waste issues in China. Information and data sources include published national statistics, reports, research papers, project documents and expert interviews.

This report has been developed under the framework grant-agreement on e-waste cooperation between the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and the Solving the E-waste Problem (StEP) Initiative hosted by the United Nations University (UNU). The goal of this report is to enable better understanding of the e-waste system in China, including actors, projects, policies and other factors, and to facilitate further discussion, project initiation and communication among organizations working on e-waste in China.
Source: UNU
Authors: Feng Wang | Ruediger Kuehr | Daniel Ahlquist | Jinhui Li